Parachute.



L. M. NELSON.

PARAGHUTE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.14,1911.

Patented Mar; 5, 1912.

2 SHEEIS-SHEET 1.

L. M. NELSON. PARACHUTE. APPLICATION FILED @1114, 1911. 1,01 9,27 1- Patented Mar. 5,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

res PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS 1a. Nansen,- or rnnnmcron, New JERSEY.

PARACHUTE.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application filed January 14, 1911. Serial No. 602,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,'LOUIS M. NELSON, cit-1 zen ofthe United States, residing .at Pennington, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parachutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain. new and useful improvements in aeronautics, and relates particularly toparachutes.

It is well known that up to the present time, in the development of the art of aerial navigation, the practice of aviation has been attended with imminent danger and has often resulted in fatalities, owing to the fact that no means have heretofore been provided for successfully retarding the descent of the operator, after he has once ,lostcontrol of his machine. This has been particularly truewith aeroplanes.

WVith a knowledge of these conditions it is the primary object of my invention to provide.an improved parachute which may be socarried on the person, or so connected to the-flying machine or air-ship, particularly'the former, that it may be instantly and posit-ivelyspread to an operative position, when required for use, and held dis tended by inflation means, so as to etfectually. retard the descent'or fall of the aviator,

either. apart from or with-his machine, and thereby render it possible to make a'safe delongitudinal sectional View thereof in 'oper-' ative or distended condition; Fig. 3 is a detail sectidnal view illustrating how the de* vice is packed or stowed away when'not required for use, while at the same time being in readiness for instant operation; and, Fig.

4 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts in secti on,'illustrating one of the preferred ways of securing the inflation tubes to the body of flexible material that forms the mam partofthe parachute.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. I

It is to be understood that in the manufacture of my improved safety appliance, I

may make use'of any of the ordinary para-' chute constructions which embody a skin or body portion of some suitable textile fabric, a series of suspension cords or ropes connected to the preferably circular edge thereof, and a suspension ring to which the lower ends of said cords are connected in any approved way. So far, then, as these parts are concerned, the accompanying drawings illustrate merely conventional forms of textile body portion 1, suspension cords 2, and suspension-ring 3.

Incarrying out my invention I secure to the body portion 1, at or' near the margin thereof, an inflatable ring 4 of some air tight substance or material capable of successfully withstanding the necessary inflation, such as rubber or olled silk, and I join to said ring,

preferably at equidistant points, any desired number of substantially radial transversely extending tubes 5 that are also inflatable, the outer ends of the tubes 5 being joined in any desired Way to the ring 4, and the inner ends of said tubes 5 being connected in any desired way to an upper and preferably smaller inflatable ring 6. In order to supply the framework thus produced with inflating-fluid, such as air, or hydrogen gas, I connect to the ring 6, preferably at diametrically opposite points, the forked upper end 7 a of a feed tube 7, said feed tube, in the operative condition of the parachute, being disposed substantially centrally therein and leading down to a supply drum or cylinder 8 to which the lower end of the feed tube 7- is suitably connected. The communication between the source of supply 8 and the feed tube 7 is controlled by a valve 9 which is preferably in the form of an ordinary handoperated. turn-cock, which may be instantly opened and closed. f

While my improved parachute or safety aerial appliance may be carried in any deslred'way, according to the particular use to which it is to be put, I have shown the same, for the purposes of illustration, as connected to an aeroplane. In the present embodiment of the invention, the parachute is condesignated 12, being also located underneath and coincident with the central axis ofthe suspension ring or hoop 3.

As the parts are all flexible and compresssible, they may be stowed away, when not required for use, within a relatively small space, and I have shown in the present instance, for this purpose, a pan or receptacle 14 secured to the upper plane 11 at the transverse center and preferably near the rear edge thereof, where it will not oifer any appreciable resistance to the forward move. ment of the machine. In the preferred manner of packing the parts in this receptacle 14, the suspension hoop 3 is first placed therein, the suspension cords or ropes 2 are then carefully laid in the receptacle in such a manner that they may be readily withdrawn therefrom without becoming entangled, and

the body portion 1 with its inflatable framework is then carefully placed in the receptacle, the feed tube 7 being folded as near to the top of the folded parts as possible, whereby it may be quickly distended and shot upto its full length so as to carry the other parts with it when the inflating fluid or gas is admitted therein. The feed tube 7, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, extends downwardly through an opening 13 formed in the bottom of the receptacle 14. In order to pro tect the parts from the elements or from deterioration by atmospheric conditions when not in use, the receptacle 14: is provided with a cover 14, preferably composed of rubber,

capable of distension and formed with a relatively heavy head 14:", adapted to be stretched over the marginal flange of the receptacle so as to hold the cover in place.

In the practical operation of the device, whenever the same is required for use, it is only necessary for the operator to turn the handle of the valve 9, whereupon the inflating fluid will instantly pass into the then deflated feed tube 7, the tube will be instantly inflated and the parachute will be shot up and almost instantly distended, the cover 14c being, of course, removed by this operamanifest that the a distended condition by atmospheric pres tion. It will thus be seen that by my invention there is always at hand a device which will insure the safety of the operator and one that can instantly be brought into commission when required and in a very simple manner without the manipulation of any parts except the valve 9 of the supply drum. After being once distended by the inflation of its framework, it is of course arachute will be kept in sure alone; but if desired it is clear that hydrogen gas may be used as the inflating fluid, in order to' assist in the aerostatic buoyancy of the device.

While the invention is not limited to any manner of attaching the tubes to the body portion of. the parachute, I prefer to house all of the tubes, including the feed tube 7, in textile sheathings or casings, thesame being designated 15. The sheathings of the tubes 4, 5 and 6 may be stitched to the body portion 1, as best illustrated in Fig. l, and not only serve as the means for connecting the tubes to the body portion, but also, even including the sheathing for the tube 7 serve to reinforce and protect the tubes,not only from deterioration by the action of the elements, but from undue distension and consequent rupture.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A collapsible parachute, a receptacle designed to contain said parachute in collapsed condition, the receptacle being open at its top, a distensible cover formed witha marginal bead by which it is designed to be stretched over and removably secured to the receptacle to cover the same and the receptacle being of a size to contain the parachute in the collapsed and deflated condition of the latter, the parachute including an inflatable frame, and means leading into the receptacle for inflating said frame, whereby Y to forcibly remove the cover from the receptacle and to raise the parachute therefrom into distended condition.

In testimonywhereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS M. NELSON. 1.3.1

Witnesses:

W. N. VVooDsoN, FREDERICK S. S'rrr'r. 

